Lock for adjusting worm of a movable jaw wrench



Feb. 5, 1957 F. G. LYONS LOCK FOR ADJUSTING WORM OF A MOVABLE JAw WRENCHFi led June 14, 1955 Fred 6. Lyons IN VEN TOR. dag-w all United StatesPatent 9 LOCK FOR STING-WORM B: A MOVABLE JAW WRENCH Fred G. Lyons,Orovillea Calif.

Application June 14', 1955, Serial No. 515,337

1. Claim. (Cl..811165) This invention generally relates to a wrench, andmore specifically provides an improved and novel locking means for theadjusting worm of a movable jaw wrench for selectively locking themovable jaw of the wrench in adjusted position.

An object of this invention is to provide an abutment locking member forselectively contacting the thumb screw or worm adjusting means forlocking a movable jaw of a movable jaw Wrench in position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a slidable member forengaging the adjustment means of a wrench for retaining the adjustmentmeans in a definite positron.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a movable jawWrench having means for locking the movable jaw in adjustable positionwherein the locking means is simple in construction, easy to operate,positive in action and inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating a wrench employing thenovel lock means for the adjusting worm of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail elevational view of the latching meanswith portions thereof broken away illustrating the details ofconstruction;

Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon a plane passing along section line 33 of Figure 2 illustrating theguide means together with the positioning of the handle for moving thelock means;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, plan sectional view taken substantially upona plane passing along section line 44 of Figure 2 illustrating furtherstructural details of the locking device;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the abutment member together with theshank projecting therefrom; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the locking spring illustrating theprojection on one end thereof.

With reference to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates amovable jaw wrench, with the numeral 12 designating the body thereofwherein the body 12 is provided with a stationary jaw 14 and anelongated handle 16 together with a movable jaw 18 in opposition to thestationary jaw 14 together with an adjusting worm 20 rotatably journaledin an enlarged opening 22 in the body 12 of the wrench 10. The wrench10, as illustrated, is that type of wrench known as a crescent wrench,and by rotation of the worm 20 having the serrated spiral ribs 23thereon, the movable jaw 18 may be moved towards and away from thestationary jaw 14 for adjusting the wrench to the desired size.

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an elongated ovalshaped opening 32. in. the. hand1ew16,

and the end. of the, shank 26. remote from, the abutment member 28 isreduced and substantially rectangular in cross-sectional area, asindicated by the numeral 34 and is provided with a transverselyextending aperture 36 therein. Mounted against the outer surface of thereduced portion 34 of the shank 26 is an elongated flat spring 38 havinga circular end portion 40 with an aperture 42 therein at one end thereofand an inwardly extending projection 44 adjacent the other end thereof.Extending through the aligned apertures 36 and 42 is a screw threadedmember 46 having enlarged headed portions 48 and 50 for securing theshank 26 and spring 38 together, and the enlarged headed portion 50 isslidable in the enlarged opening 32 for limiting the movement of theshank 26 and also forming. a handle for movement of the shank 26 andabutment 28.

The central portion of the handle 16 adjacent the opening 32 is providedwith a pair of indentations 52 which are complementary in shape to theprojection 44 on the spring 38 for fractionally receiving the projection44 thereby frictionally locking the spring 38, shank 26 and abutment 28in adjusted position thereby selectively engaging the pointed end 30 ofthe abutment member 28 with the serrated ribs 23 of the adjusting worm20 thereby locking the worm 26 in adjusted position for selectivelylocking the movable jaw 18 in adjusted position. The positioning of theenlarged headed portions 48 and 50 provides easy access for moving thelocking device to the desired position without the person utilizing theother hand, thereby permitting the wrench to be utilized in the normalmanner and to eliminate the usual maladjustment of the wrench 10. Thedevice may be constructed of any suitable tool steel normally utilizedin such wrench structures, and the locking device may be utilized in anytype of adjustable wrench.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A lock for a movable jaw wrench having a rotatable worm for adjustingthe movable jaw and a body having a stationary jaw in opposed relationto the movable jaw and an elongated handle integrally formed therewith,said lock comprising an abutment member for engaging the periphery ofthe worm, a shank extending from said abutment member, the body of saidwrench having a longitudinal bore therein terminating at one end in anenlarged opening adjacent the worm for slidably receiv ing said shank,said abutment member being movable in said enlarged opening forselectively engaging said worm, the other end of said bore terminatingin an elongated longitudinal opening in the handle, stop means attachedto said shank and movably positioned in said elongated opening forlimiting the movement of said shank and 3 abutment member, and springmeans frictionally interconnecting the end of the shank positioned inthe elongated opening and the handle for retaining the abutment memberin selective positions, said handle being provided with a pair oflongitudinally spaced indentations, said spring means including a flatspring attached to the shank and extending longitudinally alongside saidhandle in intimate contact therewith, a projection on the inner surfaceof the spring for frictional engagement in one of said indentations forreleasably retaining the abutment member in engagement with the worm forreleasably locking the movable jaw in adjusted position, including apair of cylindrical members with one of said cylindrical members havinga threaded member extending through the flat spring and the shank andreceived in the other cylindrical member for retaining the shank andspring in assembled relation, said cylindrical members projecting fromopposite side of the opening in the handle for forming a handle memberon each side of the wrench handle for manipulation of the abutment, oneof said cylindrical members having a portion slidable in thelongitudinal opening in the wrench handle whereby the opening forms aguide and limit means for the movement of the spring and shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,321,777 Stepananian Nov. 11, 1919 1,512,846 Gumprecht Oct. 21, 19241,599,162 Brown Sept. 7, 1926 1,749,002 Schneider et a1. Mar. 4, 19302,506,066 Coates May 2, 1950 2,688,893 Jackson Sept. 14, 1954 2,714,323Lyons Aug. 2, 1955 2,719,450 Jackson Oct. 4, 1955

